US multi-channel video providers add 170,000 subs

Research from broadband, media and entertainment industries analysis firm Leichtman Research Group indicates that the thirteen largest multi-channel video providers in the US – representing about 94 per cent of the market – acquired over 170,000 net additional video subscribers in 2012. Annual net multi-channel video additions in 2012 were about 230,000 fewer than in 2011.

The top multi-channel video providers account for over 94.7 million subscribers – with the top nine cable companies having 51.3 million video subscribers, satellite TV companies having over 34.1 million subscribers, and top telephone companies having 9.3 million subscribers.

Other key findings include:

The top nine cable companies lost about 1,415,000 video subscribers in 2012 — compared to a loss of about 1,600,000 subscribers in 2011

“The overall market for these top multi-channel video providers grew by less than 0.2 per cent, adding about 170,000 subscribers in 2012, with subscriber losses for cable providers offset by gains for telco and satellite TV providers,” noted Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group. “In this saturated and competitive market, it has become a contest over market share. Cable providers now have a 54 per cent share of the top multi-channel video subscribers in the US, compared to a 58 per cent share two years ago.”